Heat exchanger with extruded tanks

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger having a pair of extruded tanks in which the tanks have a configuration which facilitates manufacture and the securement of support rails to the tanks for securing the tanks together.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority and the benefit of 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/916,323, filed 16 Dec. 2013.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to heat exchanges and, more particularly, to a heat exchanger with extruded tanks configured to facilitate securement of the tanks together by rails to the side of the tanks; more preferably, to a preferred configuration for an extruded tank for a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heat exchangers are well known and useful as vehicle and equipment radiators. A disadvantage of previously known heat exchangers is the difficulty of configuring tanks at opposed ends of a heat exchanger towards avoiding leakage in use. Another disadvantage of known heat exchangers is to maximize the available area which can be used for media flow therethrough as, for example, to maximize the area available for air flow therethrough in, for example, an air cooled heat exchanger or radiator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of previously known devices, the present invention provides a heat exchanger of extruded tanks in which the tanks have a configuration which facilitates manufacture and the securement of support rails to the tanks securing the tanks together.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a heat exchanger comprising:

a first tank and a second tank,

each tank comprising an extruded member formed by extrusion along a longitudinal having exterior surfaces comprising a front face, back face, right side face and left side face, a top end and bottom end,

a passageway extending longitudinally through the extruded member open at each of the top end and the bottom end,

end plates provided with one end plate closing each passageway at each respective of the top end and bottom end,

each passageway defined within interior surfaces comprising a front surface and a rear surface,

the front surface being planar and having a right lateral edge and a left lateral edge,

the rear surface extending from the right lateral edge of the front surface to the left lateral edge of the front surface defining the passageway there between,

a header plate defined on each tank between the respective front face and the front surface portion of each passageway,

each header plate having an array of apertures therethrough into the respective passageway,

a plurality of tubes extending from the first tank to the second tank,

each tube having a first end and a second end,

the first end of each tube sealably engaged within a respective aperture of the first tank and the second end of each tube sealably engaged within a respective aperture of the second tank.

Preferably, each second surface is a concave surface opposed to the respective the front surface.

Preferably, the right lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the right side face,

the left lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the left side face,

proximate a junction of the right side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the right side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending right corner portion,

proximate a junction of the left side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the left side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending left corner portion,

a plurality of respective blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the right corner portion of each tank or the left corner portion of each tank,

an upper frame member having a first end and a second end,

a lower frame member having a first end and a second end,

each frame member extending between the tanks to securely couple the tanks together with the tubes extending between the tanks,

the first end of each frame member secured to the first tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the first tank and the second end of each frame member secured to the second tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the second tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded pictorial view of a heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an extruded tube which is an element of a first tank of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top cross-sectional view along section line 4-4′ in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 2, the opposite left side being a mirror image;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of an extended tube, an inlet nipple and an outlet nipple which are elements of a second tank of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along section line 10-10′ in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view along section line 11-11′ in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a right side view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view along section line 13-13′ in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 15 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view through an assembled heat exchanger as shown in FIG. 11 schematically illustrating flow;

FIG. 16 is an axial cross-sectional view through a first prior art grommet;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged exploded portion of a horizontal cross-sectional view through an end portion of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1 but assembled and illustrating a manner of sealable connection of two tubes of the core to the header plate of the second tank utilizing prior art grommets of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an axial cross-sectional view through a second prior art grommet;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged exploded portion of a horizontal cross-sectional view through an end portion of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1 but assembled and illustrating a manner of sealable connection of two tubes of the core to the header plate of the second tank utilizing prior art grommets of FIG. 18; and

FIG. 20 is a schematic partial cross-sectional top view of the juncture of the assembled heat exchanger of FIG. 1 but assembled and showing a top rail to the second tank by the use of threaded bolts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to FIG. 1 which illustrates a schematic pictorial view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger 10 in accordance with the present invention. The heat exchanger includes a core 15 which is to be sealably engaged at a first end 202 with a first tank 11 and sealably engaged at a second end 200 with a second tank 12. The first tank 11 and the second tank 12 are secured together by a top rail member 13 and a bottom rail member 14. The core 15 is schematically illustrated as but a rectangular box and will be described in greater detail later, however, can be assumed to be identical to a core as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,354 to Lesage, issued Apr. 27, 1993, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The second tank 12 comprises an elongate extruded tube 16 having an elongate passageway 17 longitudinally therethrough which is closed at each of its ends by end caps 18 and 19. The tube 16 of the second tank 12 is best shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. The tube 16 has an external rectangular shape including a right side face 70, left side face 71, an interior or front face 73, an exterior or rear face 74, a top face 75 and a bottom face 76. The passageway 17 through the tube 16 has interior surfaces of a constant cross-sectional shape as seen in FIG. 4 of a general “D” shape having a planar interior front surface 77 and a semi-circular interior rear surface 79. The front surface 77 is disposed parallel to and spaced from the front face 73 and has a right lateral edge 140 proximate a juncture of the right side face 70 and the rear face 74 and a left lateral edge 141 proximate the juncture of the left side face 71 and the rear face 74. The rear surface portion 79 extends from the right lateral edge 140 to the left lateral edge 141 as a concave surface opposed to the front surface 77, preferably as a chord of a circle normal the longitudinal and as a semi-circle as shown. As seen in end view in FIGS. 2 and 4 proximate the junction of the rear face 74 of the tube 16 and the right side 70, the rear surface 79 is spaced inwardly from both the right side face 70 and the rear face 74 defining a right, generally triangular portion 81 extending along the length of the tube 16. Similarly, adjacent the junction of the rear face 74 and the left side face 71, the rear surface 79 is spaced inwardly from both the left side face 71 and the rear face 74 defining a left, roughly triangular portion 82 extending along the length of the tube 16.

The tube 16 defines a planar header plate 20 formed between the front face 73 and the interior front surface 77 of the passageway 17. The header plate 20 has an array of apertures 22 which extend therethrough to provide communication through the header plate 20 into the passageway 17. On each of the right side face 70 and the left side face 71, a plurality of blind bores 83 extend inwardly laterally into the respective triangular sections 81 and 82 to receive bolts, such as the bolt 79 and its lock washer 80 shown on FIGS. 1 and 20, for coupling of the upper rail 13 and the lower rail 14 to the tube 16 of the second tank 12. Additionally, on the rear face 74, blind bores 84 extend inwardly forwardly into the respective triangular sections 81 and 82 to optionally receive bolts to couple the tanks to other components (not shown).

The first tank 11 comprises an elongate extruded tube 24 having an elongate passageway 25 longitudinally therethrough which are closed at each of its ends by end caps 26 and 27. The tube 24 of the first tank 11 is best shown in FIGS. 7 to 14. The tube 24 has an external rectangular shape including a right side face 90, left side face 91, an interior or front face 93, an exterior or rear face 94, a top face 95 and a bottom face 96. The passageway 25 through the tube 24 has a constant cross-sectional shape as seen in FIG. 14 of a general “D” shape having a planar interior front surface 97 disposed parallel to and spaced from the front face 93 and a semi-circular interior back surface 99. Proximate the junction of the rear face 94 of the tube 24 and the right side face 90, a right generally triangular portion 101 extends along the length of the tube 24. Similarly, adjacent the junction of the rear face 94 and the left side face 91, a left roughly triangular portion 102, seen in end view in FIG. 14, extends along the length of the tube 24. The tube 24 includes a planar header plate 110 defined between the front face 93 and the front surface 97 of the passageway 25. The header plate 30, 110 has an array of apertures 122 which extend therethrough to provide communication through the header plate 110. On each of the right side face 90 and the left side face 91, blind bores 103 extend inwardly into the respective triangular portions 101, 102 to receive bolts for coupling of the upper rail 13 and the lower rail 14 to the tube 24 of the first tank 11. Additionally, on the rear surface 94, blind bores 104 extend forwardly into the respective triangular sections 101, 102 to receive bolts.

The tube 24 of the first tank 11 is effectively identical to the tube 16 of the second tank 12 with a notable exception of firstly that the tube 24 includes a longitudinally extending baffle 30 which extends rearwardly from the header plate 110 to define two longitudinally extending parallel portions of the passageway 25, namely, a front passage 28 and a rear passage 29. At the top and the bottom of the extruded tube 24, the baffle 30 is partially cut away to provide at each end a space for the end caps 26 and 27 to be engaged to the first tank 11 to close the front passage 28 and the rear passage 29 with the end caps 26 and 27 to be flush with or preferably slightly recessed into the top face 95 and bottom face 96 to facilitate welding the respective top face 95 and bottom face 96 of the tube 24.

Secured to the tube 24 of the first tank 11 are an inlet nipple 31 and an outlet nipple 32.

The inlet nipple 31 comprises a cylindrical tube 128 with an open outer end 129 carrying a cylindrical boss 130 about which a cooling fluid delivery tube (not shown) may be clamped in a known manner as to provide for communication of fluid to the heat exchanger 10 from an engine (not shown) to be cooled. Similarly, the outlet nipple 32 comprises a cylindrical tube 131 with an open outer end 132 and a raised boss 133 thereabout for connection as by clamping of a cooling fluid return tube (not shown), to return cooling fluid to the engine to be cooled. Each of the inlet nipple 31 and outlet nipple 32 have their cylindrical walls suitably cut away such that each nipple may be brazed or welded to the first tank 11 and provide appropriate communication, with the front passage 28 in the case of the inlet nipple 31 and the rear passage 29 in the case of the outlet nipple 32. As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10, the tube 24 is cut away so as to provide communication from the front passage 28 into the inlet nipple 31 with a rear end 134 of the inlet nipple 31 disposed at the location of the baffle 30 and closed in part by an end cap 135. In an analogous manner as can be seen in the cross-section of FIG. 11, the tube 24 is also cut away such that the outlet nipple 31 is in communication merely with the passage 29 rearward of the baffle 30 with a rear end 134 of the outlet nipple 32 suitably closed by an end cap 137.

Reference is made to FIG. 15 which illustrates a schematic horizontal cross-section through the assembled heat exchanger 10 in which the core 15 is schematically illustrated to comprise but two tubes, namely, a first front tube 140 and a second rear tube 142. Counter current fluid flow is shown in FIG. 15 wherein fluid from the inlet nipple 31 (not shown in FIG. 15) will enter the front passage 28, flow through the front tube 140 to the passageway 17 in the second tank 12, and flow via the second tube 142 from the second tank 12 to the first tank 11 into the rear passage 29 and, hence, out the outlet nipple 32 (not shown in FIG. 15).

While FIG. 15 illustrates the core 15 as comprising but two tubes 140 and 142, in accordance with the present invention, the core 15 preferably comprises a plurality of tubes with each tube extending from sealed engagement in an aperture 22 in the header plate 20 of the second tank 12 to sealed engagement in a corresponding aperture 122 in the header plate 110 of the first tank 11.

A preferred manner of sealably engaging the tubes of the core 15 to the header plates 20 and 110 is to utilize resilient sealing grommets similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,354 to Lesage, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. FIG. 16 shows a first prior art grommet 66 which is useful to properly seat and seal in each header plate an end of an appropriate cooling tube. The grommet 66 includes an internal rounded lip 68 which is intended to be snap-fitted through an aperture 22 or 122 in one of the header plates 20 or 110 such that the header plate 20 shown comes to be received within a groove 67 between the internal rounded lip 68 inside the header plate 20 inside the tank 11 and an outer linear lip 70 on the grommet 66 to be disposed and engage the outside of the header plate 20 as seen in FIG. 17.

FIG. 17 illustrates in a schematic partial cross-sectional view of two grommets 66 in accordance with FIG. 16 secured to the header plate 20 with a respective tube 140 and 142 extending through each grommet 66 to sealably engage each respective tube 140 and 141 in a respective aperture 22 and thus to the header plate 20. FIG. 17 illustrates the baffle 30 extending from the header plate 20 as occurs in the case of the first tank 11. Preferably, as shown for proper sealing of the grommets 66, the internal rounded lip 68 of each grommet 66 is spaced laterally from the baffle 30.

FIG. 18 shows a modified prior art grommet 166 compared to that in FIG. 16 in which the rounded lip 68 has been eliminated such that when the grommet 166 is pushed into and through the header plate 20, the grommet 166 does not extend on the inside of the header plate 20 radially outwardly of the circumference of the aperture 22 as seen in FIG. 19. In FIG. 19, the distance between an edge of each aperture 22 and the baffle 30 may be zero. In a preferred configuration of the present invention, the grommet 166 as illustrated in FIG. 18 can be used within the apertures 22 which are adjacent to the baffle 30 whereas the grommet 66 as shown in FIG. 16 can be used in other of the apertures 22.

Reference is made to FIG. 20 which schematically illustrates the juncture of the top rail 13 to the second tank 12 by the use of threaded bolts 79 preferably with a lock washer 80 disposed about the shank of each bolt 150. The top rail 13 includes a top plate 143 from which side flanges 144 and 145 depend extending downwardly on either side of the top plate 143 along the length of the top plate 143. The side flanges 144 and 145 have openings 146 therethrough through which the bots 150 extend. Rather than provide the top rail 13 as one element, the top plate 143 may be eliminated and one or both of the side flanges 144 and 145 be provided as separate frame members to join the tanks 11 and 12. In FIG. 20, the core 15 is not shown. The blind bores 83 in the tank 12 to receive the bolts 79 are drilled into one of the triangular sections 81 and 82. Since the bolts 79 extend from the side faces 70 and 71 of the extruded tube 16, the provision of the heads 150 of the bolts 79 and the lock washers 80 to extend forwardly or rearwardly from the assembled heat exchanger 10 does not restrict the overall height or width of the heat exchanger 10 as is advantageous to ensure that a maximum cross-sectional area for horizontal air flow through the core 15. In contrast, insofar as the bolts might be provided to extend longitudinally into the top face 75 or bottom face 76 of the extruded tube 16, then the heads of the bolts would extend upwardly, would increase the overall height of the heat exchanger 10, and would disadvantageously where heat exchangers 10 may be stacked upon each other, reduce the horizontal area available for air flow.

In the preferred embodiment, the apertures such as the apertures 122 through the header plate 20 have been shown to be cylindrical. This is not necessary and the tubes can be of other shapes such as oval about which preferred resilient oval grommets may be provided to sealably engage each tube to the header plate.

Each of the tubes 16 and 24 are preferably extruded from aluminum or alloys of aluminum.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, many modifications and variations will now occur to those skilled in the art. For a definition of the invention, reference is made to the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A heat exchanger comprising: a first tank and a second tank, each tank comprising an extruded member formed by extrusion along a longitudinal having exterior surfaces comprising a front face, back face, right side face and left side face, a top end and bottom end, a passageway extending longitudinally through the extruded member open at each of the top end and the bottom end, end plates provided with one end plate closing each passageway at each respective of the top end and bottom end, each passageway defined within interior surfaces comprising a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface being planar and having a right lateral edge and a left lateral edge, the rear surface extending from the right lateral edge of the front surface to the left lateral edge of the front surface defining the passageway there between, a header plate defined on each tank between the respective front face and the front surface portion of each passageway, each header plate having an array of apertures therethrough into the respective passageway, a plurality of tubes extending from the first tank to the second tank, each tube having a first end and a second end, the first end of each tube sealably engaged within a respective aperture of the first tank and the second end of each tube sealably engaged within a respective aperture of the second tank.
 2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein each second surface is a concave surface opposed to the respective the front surface.
 3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 wherein each second surface is a chord of a circle in any cross-section normal the longitudinal.
 4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 wherein each second surface is a semicircle in any cross-section normal the longitudinal.
 5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4 wherein the right lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the right side face, the left lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the left side face, proximate a junction of the right side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the right side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending right corner portion, proximate a junction of the left side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the left side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending left corner portion, a plurality of respective blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the right corner portion of each tank or the left corner portion of each tank, an upper frame member having a first end and a second end, a lower frame member having a first end and a second end, each frame member extending between the tanks to securely couple the tanks together with the tubes extending between the tanks, the first end of each frame member secured to the first tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the first tank and the second end of each frame member secured to the second tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the second tank.
 6. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5 wherein the blind bores comprise a plurality of respective right blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the right corner portion of each tank and a plurality of respective left blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the left corner portion of each tank.
 7. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 6 wherein the blind bores comprise a plurality of respective right blind bores for each tank extending from the right face into the right corner portion of each tank and a plurality of respective left blind bores for each tank extending from the left face into the left corner portion of each tank.
 8. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein each frame member is coupled to a right blind bore and to a left blind bore on each tank.
 9. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein each tank is extruded from aluminum or an alloy of aluminum.
 10. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first tank includes a longitudinally extending baffle extending from the interior front surface to the interior rear surface and dividing the passageway into a right passage and a left passage, a first set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the right passage and a second set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the left passage.
 11. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first tank including an inlet port in communication with the right passage and an outlet port in communication with the second passage.
 12. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 11 wherein the baffle is integral with each tank and extruded with each tank.
 13. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the right lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the right side face, the left lateral edge of the front surface is proximate a juncture of the front face and the left side face, proximate a junction of the right side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the right side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending right corner portion, proximate a junction of the left side face and the rear face, the second surface is spaced inwardly from both the left side face and the rear face defining a longitudinally extending left corner portion, a plurality of respective blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the right corner portion of each tank or the left corner portion of each tank, an upper frame member having a first end and a second end, a lower frame member having a first end and a second end, each frame member extending between the tanks to securely couple the tanks together with the tubes extending between the tanks, the first end of each frame member secured to the first tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the first tank and the second end of each frame member secured to the second tank by bolts engaged in the blind bores in the second tank.
 14. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 13 wherein the blind bores comprise a plurality of respective right blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the right corner portion of each tank and a plurality of respective left blind bores for each tank extending from one of the exterior faces into the left corner portion of each tank, and wherein each frame member is coupled to a right blind bore and to a left blind bore on each tank.
 15. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein each tank is extruded from aluminum or an alloy of aluminum.
 16. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first tank includes a longitudinally extending baffle extending from the interior front surface to the interior rear surface and dividing the passageway into a right passage and a left passage, a first set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the right passage and a second set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the left passage.
 17. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first tank includes a longitudinally extending baffle extending from the interior front surface to the interior rear surface and dividing the passageway into a right passage and a left passage, a first set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the right passage and a second set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the left passage, wherein the baffle is integral with each tank and extruded with each tank.
 18. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first tank including an inlet port in communication with the right passage and an outlet port in communication with the second passage.
 19. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5 wherein each tank is extruded from aluminum or an alloy of aluminum.
 20. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first tank includes a longitudinally extending baffle extending from the interior front surface to the interior rear surface and dividing the passageway into a right passage and a left passage, a first set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the right passage and a second set of the apertures through the header plate of the first tank opening into the left passage, wherein the baffle is integral with each tank and extruded with each tank. 